Ice crusher



A. E. GRANT Apri! 23, 1946.

ICE CRUSHER Filed May 28, 1945 'INVEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 23, 1946 UNITED lSTATES lPATENT OFFICE los CRUSHER I Aibert E. Grant, Kansas city, M0. Applicationlll/ay 28, 1945, Serial No. 596,297

7 claims. (c1. 241-160) This invention relates to improvements in vice Crushers and refers more particularly to an ice crusher in which the Crusher( members are adjustable to produce ice particles or pieces of ice of the size desired. l

This application is a continuation-impart vof Serial No. 567,161, iiled December 8, 1944. A

The crusher is adapted for the preparation of crushed ice for all sorts of cold beverages, ice packs or wherever crushed ice is needed.y

One object of the invention is to provide an ice Crusher which is small, compact and rugged in construction and completely enclosed to prevent ice particles from being scattered during the ice crushing operation. Y Y l K Another object is to provide a Crusher construction which is portable and may be easily moved from place to place convenient to the person who is serving the beverage and at the same time offering a Crusher which is attractive rin appearance. I

A. further object is to provide a crusher in which the crusher members are adjustable to produce ice particles or pieces of ice of the size desired. f

Other and further objects of the invention will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of the specication and is to be read in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various Views,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partially in section of an ice Crusher embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a view taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. l in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a detail of a modied type of link over that detailed in Fig. 3 for adjusting the position of the hopper.

The crusher comprises an upright standard I in the upper portion of which is pivoted on trunnions II an ice hopper I2. Top or lid Ilia is pivoted at Ib at the upper end of the standard. Within the hopper and on opposite sides thereof are a, plurality of fins I3 which extend from th'e sides of the hopper forming a grate like structure in the path of crusher members or claws i4. Supplemental holding ns IZa extending from the crushing side of the hopper above the rlns I3 hold the ice being crushed in the lower portion of the hopper and in crushing relationship with th'e claws and ns. Top Illa is provided with depending ns Ic having stepped edges. These stepped fins cause a downward feeding pressure upon the ice in the hopper. Thus, th'e ice is continuously fed to the crushing claws I4. The Crusher members are mounted upon a rotating shaft l 5 which extends through slotted holes in the hopper. Shaft I5 h'as bearings I5a and Ib in the standard and is rotated by means of a handle I6 attached to the shaft on the outside of the standard. The bottom of the hopper is open and beneath it pivoted at Il is a dump receptacle I8. Belowpthe open bottom of the hopper and tted into the side of the standard is a cup I9. The front lip of the cup as it is slid into the standard 'contacts the lip Ia of the pivoted receptacle, raising it to the position shown in Fig. 1 so that the crushed ice will fall directly into the cup. When the cup is removed from the standard the weight of the receptacle rotates it into a position beneath the hopper to prevent ice particles or water from dripping into the bottom of the standard.

To obtainthe proper spacing of the fins I3 with respect to crusher members It a crank is provided comprising a disk 20 with a central stub shaft 26a ,integral therewith' and an off center crank pin 2Gb. Shaft 20a is journaled in the wall of standard IIJ and a bushing 2| fastened to the inside of the standard wall and is held in position by a button 22. A spring washer 23 on stub shaft 20a between button 22 and standard IU urges disk 20 into abutment with the inner face of bushing 2|. The free end of pin 20h fits in a vertical groove' I2a between two vertical lugs on the lower end of the outer wall of th'e hopper. As best shown in Fig. 3, clearance is provided between the end of pin 20h and the bottom of groove I2a. This clearance permits longitudinal movement of shaft 20a when button 22 is pressed. Thus rotary adjustment of the crank pin is made moving the hopper by engaging the walls of the groove or slide. To x the hopper in a selected position registering radial grooves 2te and lugs 2id are provided on th'e confronting faces of the disk and bushing. The location of these registering members provides adjustment of the hopper in different selected positions so that fine, coarse and medium size ice particles are crushed. The spring 23 holds the members in registration. In the modification shown in Fig. 4 crank pin 2th is shortened in length as shown at 29d and is connected to a pin |21) on the hopper by a link 24. The registering lugs 2 Ia and grooves Zc and the remainder of the crank assembly are the same as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In this modication the hopper is also rocked on its pivot when button 22 is pressed in and rotated to adjust the particle size of the crushed ice.

It is also contemplated that button 22 may be replaced by an indicator which will designate tll'e type of ice being crushed.

In operation the lid la pivoted at |01) on the standard is opened and chunks of ice placed in the open top of the hopper l2. Button 22 is then pushed in and rotated to a selected position to adjust the relationship of ns I3 and crushing members i4. When the adjustment is made spring 23 brings the locking members into registration to hold the hopper in position.

After the ice is placed in the hopper and the hopper adjusted the handle i6 is rotated. Rotation of the Crusher members coacting with the ns on the sides of the hopper crushes the ice which falls into cup I9. When the cup is filled it is withdrawn from the standard and dumped into the container in which it is to be used. When the cup is withdrawn from the standard the dump receptacle I8 moves on its pivot to close the bottom opening of the hopper and catches small ice particles or water which drips from the hopper or crushing members. When the cup is reinserted the front lip of the cup engages the lip Illa on the pivoted dump receptacle and moves it from below the hopper. Surrounding the upper part of the hopper is a ledge or plate ld which prevents ice particles from escaping from the edges of the hopper and falling into the bottom of the standard.

It will be seen that the objects of the invention have been accomplished, that there has been provided a convenient sized portable ice Crusher i stood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. 'I'his is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an ice Crusher having a standard, an open ended hopper pivoted therein, xed fins within the hopper, a shaft bearing in the standard and extending through slotted holes in the hopper, crushing elements mounted on the shaft, a stub shaft journaled in the side of the standard, means externally of the standard for rotating the stub shaft, a crank pin on the inner end of said stub shaft having engagement with the hopper to'rock the hopper on its pivot to adjust the relative position of the fins and crushing elements.

2. An ice crusher as in claim 1 wherein a groove on the side of the hopper receives the free end of the crank pin.

3.'An ice Crusher as in claim 1 wherein a link connects the crank pin to the hopper.

4. An ice crusher as in claim l wherein locking means releasable hold the crank pin and hopper in a selected position.

5. An ice crusher as in claim 1 in which a disk mounted on the stub shaft within the standard carries the crank pin off center thereof.

6. An ice crusher as in claim 1 in which the xed fins in the hopper include lower crushing fins and holding finsv on the crushing side of the hopper. Y

7. An ice Crusher as in claim 1 wherein a lid is pivoted on the standard, ns depending from the lid and in which the ns in the hopper include crushing fins adjacent the claws and holding iins above the registering crushing ns and claws.

ALBERT E, GRANT. 

